Bottle display device



y .M. c. MEYER BOTTLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 7, 1940 INVENTOR.

C. "Lg m.

V ZKL ATTORNEYS Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE DISPLAY DEVICE Maximilian C. Meyer, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 7, 1940, Serial No. 333,734

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a novel display device adapted to hold perfume bottles or the like in locked position for ready sampling by a customer and to prevent the pilfering of such perfume bottles from the display device.

My invention further relates to a display device adapted to firmly hold perfume bottles or the like which have no precise tolerance with respect to neck size or bottle length.

It is customary in the sale of perfume to display small bottles of perfume within easy reach and sight of the customer and to provide for sampling of the contents of these perfume bottles in order to aid in the selection. Various difficulties arise by this practise. First, careless withdrawal of the stopper of the perfume bottle by the prospective purchaser may upset the perfume bottle and hence spill its valuable contents and, secondly, because of the valuable nature of perfume, display presentation of the perfume bottle makes pilfering of the entire bottle itself likely.

I have devised a novel display stand for perfume bottles in which the perfume bottles are adapted to be placed and locked in a novel manner, and this locking of the perfume bottles in position prevents the displacement or withdrawal of the bottle and hence avoids the above difficulties.

My display device has another new and unexpected quality in that by reason of its particular construction it is adapted to hold perfume bottles or the like of different varying sizes and this is of importance since bottles of this nature do not have an exact tolerance and hence vary considerably in size. My display device is adapted to be equally effective for bottles having varying neck sizes and body lengths. It is an object of my invention to provide a novel display device in which the entire body of the bottle and the contents thereof are in full view.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel display device adapted to lock a bottle in proper display position.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel display device in which the perfume bottle is securely held so that a careless withdrawal of stopper therefrom cannot cause displacement of the bottle.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel display device of a resilient material formed in such a manner that various neck sizes and body sizes can be accommodated.

Further objects of my invention will be apparent from the drawing and specific description thereof which here follows.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display device of my invention showing a perfume bottle in position and the stages of placing a perfume bottle in proper position in this display device.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the display device of my invention.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the display device of my invention.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the display device of my invention showing a perfume bottle in position.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, in Figure l I show a display device generally denoted as Ill comprising a base II and a resilient plastic strand generally denoted as I2 formed in the shape shown, and set into openings in the base II at I4 and I 5. These openings may be recesses punched or formed in the base in any desired manner. The plastic strand I2 may be formed from an ordinary straight plastic strand by suitably softening the plastic as by heat and/or solvent action and bending the plastic strand to the shape shown in which an upper circular loop I6 is substantially at a right angle or preferably at an angle slightly less than a right angle to the converging legs I1 and I8. It will be noted that the circular loop I6 widens out from its narrowest portion defined by the points I9 and 20 where it meets and merges with the leg portions I1 and I8.

The particular utility of the form of this plastic strand will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the adjacent strands wherein are shown the perfume bottle 22 in display position and the method of putting the bottle into locked display position. It will be noted that the circular loop portion I6 of the strand embraces the neck 23 of the perfume bottle 22 and because of the resilient nature of the plastic strand I2 and the formation thereof into this looped holding device, various neck sizes may be accommodated since the points I9 and 29 are resiliently spaced with respect to each other and can be easily forced apart without great pressure or danger of breaking.

Similarly, to take care of the different body lengths of the bottle, the body of the perfume bottle being here denoted at 25, it will be noted the loop portion I6 is adapted to resiliently move up to a higher plane in the event that the body 25 is a trifle larger than normal.

Thus I provide for compensating for different neck sizes and also for different body lengths.

With respect to the placing and locking of the perfume bottle in its display position, it will be noted that the bottle is placed Within the converging legs I! and I8 and in many cases the neck ridge 26 may be slid or forced, if necessary through the converging legs I! and I8 which resiliently separate under pressure. The bottle 22 is then lifted as shown at the extreme right position, the neck 23 being forced between the points t9 and 20 which resiliently separate under pressure.

The bottle 22 is then placed in upright position as previously shown. In this upright position the manner of disengaging the bottle from the display device is not apparent to one who is uninformed as to the specific method and if the meth- 0d of disengaging were known the mechanics involved are sufliciently difiicult to prevent ready or unnoticed removal of the perfume bottle from the display device. the perfume bottle is so firmly held in. position that it cannot be disengaged. or tipped by the ordinary mechanics of sampling which consists in withdrawing the stopper from the bottle and then replacing the stopper. therein.

It is believed apparent that In Figure 2 the converging path of the legs I l and I8 is more clearly shown and it will also be noted that the loop i6 is substantially at right angles to the legs I! and I8.

In order to obtain a snug fit of the bottle on the stand and to compensate for bottles which might be'a trifle smaller in length than normal size, I also provide for a slight bending down of the loop I6 with respect tozthe legs I! and It so that the angle therebetween is a trifle less than a right angle. By such construction the perfume bottle is held snugly in position by the down pressure of the loop I6 on the neck of the bottle and this angular positioning also provides that all body lengths, under length, normal and over length, bottles are snugly held in place.

It will also be noted that a full and complete display is had of the perfume bottle including the body portion and its contents In Figure 3 the particular configuration of the loop I6 with relation to the points I?! and 2B and converging legs I! and I8 is shown. By reason of this resilient loop I6 the perfumebottle after being pressed into position is firmly held'in place.

In Figure 4, which is aside elevation of the device of my invention, it will be noted that the loop I6 which normally may'form slightly less than a right angle with the leg I8 is displaced upwardly by the body 25 of the perfume bottleso that the loop I6 when in use as shown is substantially at a right angle with the leg iii. The loop I6 however is resiliently pressed down on the perfume bottle and maintains it snugly in position on the stand.

The stand I2 is of resilient material, resilient both in its nature and by reason of its shaping into the holding unit as shown. I- prefer to form this strand of a plastic material such as a cellulosic derivative, e. g., cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, or cellulose ether, but this plastic material may also be formed of a suitable resin. It is within the purview of my invention'to use other materials which are resilient in. nature for the strand material l2.

The strand may be set intothe openings Id and I5 of the base I I by means of any suitable adhesive or when the strand is a thermoplastic, by simply softening the plastic materialwith a suitable solvent or by heating and allowing the plastic to solidify in pressure contact with the openings I4 and I5.

The base I I may be formed of any suitable material. As a further feature of my invention I may provide a ridge 30 as shown in Figure 4 which serves to align and further lock the perfume bottles in position. When this ridge is employed, the bottle must first be lifted up before being turned back to release it from the device.

It will be noted that although the display device of my invention is extremely effective for securely locking bottles of different tolerances in proper display position, it is of relatively simple construction and involves no complicated parts.

The specific description above set forth is given by way of detailed explanation of the desired form of my invention. It will be understood that certain modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Further, although I have specifically described my display device for use with perfume bottles, it may be employed for displaying and/or holding other types of articles. Accordingly, I intend to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bottle holding and locking device comprising a base, and at least one resilient strand secured to said base at-its extremities, said strand having two legs converging upwardly from said base and terminating in. a curved portion adapted to grip a bottle neck, said curved portion being at substantially a right angle to said leg portions.

2; A bottle holding and locking device comprising a base, and at least one resilient plastic strand secured to said base, said strand having two legs converging upwardly from said base, said strand being looped at its uppermost portion to form a neck engaging member, the converging legs of said strand being sufficiently separated near the baseto permit the insertion of a bottle neck therebetween, said legs being sufficiently close at the top to permit a bottle neck to be slid through them. tothe looped portion,. said: looped portion being so shaped as to tightly engage. and lock a'bottle neck so that such bottleneck cannot be withdrawn directly from said strand at thelooped portion.

3. A bottle holding and locking device comprising a base, and at least one resilient plastic strand secured to said base, said strandhaving two legs converging upwardly from said base, said strand being looped at its uppermost portion to form a neck engaging member, the converging legs of said" strand being sufficiently separated near the base to permit the insertion of a bottle neck therebetween, said legs being sufficiently close at the top to permit abottle neck to. be slid through them to the-looped portion, said. looped portion being so shaped as to tightly engage and look a bottle neck so that such bottle neck cannot be withdrawn directly from said strand at the looped portion, and said'looped portion acting to resiliently press said 'bottle'against said base.

4. A bottle holding andlocking device comprising a base having a'ridge along its forepart, said ridge. beingpositioned so as to lock said bottle against forward motion, and atleast one resilient strand secured to said base, said strand" being looped at its uppermost portion to formaneck engaging member for said bottle.

MAXIMILIAN C. 

